Rain, rain, please don't go away!

While mudslides and traffic have plagued local communities during the recent heavy rains, the Southern California water community is hoping for more. It’s hard to believe that our state is still thirsty, with the snow-packed mountains and seemingly endless showers. But, experts warn, the impact of El Niño is exaggerated, and we’re not out of the drought yet.

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The Department of Water Resources (DWR) says we must “prepare now” for a dry 2010, allocating only 5% of total contracted water deliveries to State Water Project (SWP) contractors.

A thirsty Lake Oroville

What does this mean? SWP provides water to businesses, homes and farmers, mostly located in Central and Southern California. According to DWR, under the 5% allocation, only 200,000 of the total 4 million acre-feet of water that has been requested, will be delivered.

“Five percent sends a very strong message that the state is in a water crisis,” said Central Basin’s general manager, Art Aguilar.  In fact, California’s water woes may take the national scene in the near future: Rep. Grace Napolitano said last week she is planning a congressional hearing in Southern California to examine what steps to take in the water situation.

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With the California Department of Water Resources reporting last week that Sierra snowpack is at 118% of normal for this time of year (compared to 63% of normal at this time last year,) area papers today theorize on how climate change will continue to impact our future supply. Here are two interesting articles:

In the North County Times, UC San Diego research marine physicist Tim Barnett explains how a warmer world could mean drastically less water for Southern California.

Meanwhile, the LA Times today takes a look at Gin Flat, one of the primary sites for recording state snow levels. The story would not be complete without the interview with Frank Gehrke, California’s snow survey chief. Known as the “don of the Sierra Snowpack,” he points to climate change as the major cause of our erratic snow levels.

You’ve heard it before: Despite recent showers, Californians have a long way to go before we’re out of the woods in regards to last year’s water woes. This means conservation is key, especially on rainy days.

This month, a few Colorado Senators are going so far as to propose a change in their state law, to allow people to take full advantage of seasonal downpour by harvesting rain for later use. If you’re inspired, or perhaps just amused by this, here’s an interesting news clip on rain harvesting with the LA-based TreePeople Organization. (Video behind the cut)

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With sporadic showers, we begin to wonder if the drought is over. Dave Hill, our Water Resources & Planning Manager, can tell you from experience it’s not. Not only does he see first-hand the breaking facts and figures relating to our state water levels, but in the past few months, he’s witnessed the local interest in our recycled water program dramatically increase. Here, he provides some insights on the popular question:

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